The present disclosure relates to monitoring system, such as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), in general, and to compacting data transmitted from sensors of the monitoring system prior, in particular.
An advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is a system that monitors usage of a resource, such as electricity, gas, water, traffic infrastructure and the like. The AMI may measure, collect and analyze data originated from metering devices, also referred to as sensors. Sensors transmit measurements towards an operator node, which may utilize the data in monitoring activities and may initiate actions in response to the monitored data. As opposed to traditional systems, AMI systems are able to monitor usage frequently, such as each minute, hour or the like. The AMI may have the ability to identify consumption in more detail than conventional metering systems, and to communicate that information via an underlying network. The sensors may be massively deployed so as to cover geographical regions of interest, and may be configured to transmit their monitored measurements both upon request and on a regular schedule.
Examples of AMIs are systems measuring natural gas or water consumption, providing information on when, where and how much of the respective resources are being used. For example, a system measuring water consumption may use wireless vibration sensors attached to pipes to estimate the water flow on each outlet. Another example is a smart grid, which is an electricity network that provides an improvement in comparison to traditional electricity networks in operations, maintenance, planning and the like by connecting all components of the electricity grid, allowing a two-way communication between consumers and provider, and the like. Aside from devices measuring public utilities services, such as water, gas and electricity, an AMI could also be used for other kind of purposes such as monitoring road and traffic conditions in a city. Such systems require the deployment of dedicated sensors on vehicles or on the roadside, allowing monitoring complex traffic flows as well as varied road conditions.